True Selves [Lithël Aelfwine x LunaValentine]

UnAngelVerde

A Blade in the Dark
Original poster
LURKER MEMBER
FOLKLORE MEMBER
Invitation Status
  1. Looking for partners
Posting Speed
  1. Speed of Light
  2. Multiple posts per day
  3. 1-3 posts per day
  4. One post per day
Online Availability
Tuesdays to Saturdays
Writing Levels
  1. Beginner
  2. Elementary
  3. Intermediate
  4. Adaptable
Preferred Character Gender
  1. Male
  2. Female
  3. Nonbinary
  4. Transgender
  5. Agender
  6. No Preferences
Genres
Fantasy, Magipunk, Steampunk, Science Fantasy, Scifi, Urban Fantasy, Ancient World Fantasy, Historical Fantasy, Samurai, Fandoms (ATLA, BNHA, GoT, etc)
Characters:

Name: Reginald Von Karma
Species: Demon
Powers and Abilities: Flight (sprouts wings from his back), monstrous strength, charming capabilities, is generally good at working with his hands, Remembers nearly everything he's told, plays violin at a near professional level
Relations: Alexander Von Karma (father), Lisa Von Karma (mother) No sibilings, Black Cat named Marth
Perks: Great with people, social butterfly, good study buddy, great with fashion
Disadvantages: Hot Headed,
Looks: Short black hair, Red eyes, average build. Usually wearing name brand suits.
Objectives: Continue his education, meet new people, and help others get out and make friends with humans.

Name: Helen Rynyr
Species: Gorgon
Powers and habilities: petrifying sight (except for demons or undead), monstruous strenght, capable of moving and disarming herself as a snake, Protective and healing magic, venomous blood, great singing voice and any number of homey crafts. Remembers a lot of random trivia.
Relations (family, friends, pets, etc): Androsphinx Madur (father) and Esteno (mother). No sisters, normal human brother.
Most of her friends and familly were left behind as they didn't adapt to her transitioning, so she only has her lioness cub pet, Ástrid.
Perks: Level headed, always has a trick up her sleeve. Quick learner and reader, complete control over her powers.
Disadvantages: Tries too hard to show her womanhood, a tad sad and lonely, and socially awkward. Bookworm.
Looks: skinny girl with long black hair and black eyes. Sometimes used big baggy clothes and others as femenine and provocative an attire as she can.
Objectives: To find friends and fit in her classes, to become a first responder of some kind.

Helen was welcomed by a tall man in a doctor's robe. He told her there was only one room, and she had to take it. It was a shared one, wich was horrible enough, but when the man called her by her deadname, a shiver came down her spine. "Oh, sorry, you told me Helen, was it? Let me change the log." he said as swiftly as he could, but she was sure something in her face gave him pause, because his alarm turned into understanding as they spoke.
Even with that gross slide, she felt truly welcomed to the place. This student home was a private old house in a latin solarium style, with a vast Q shape and a internal garden with a pond and various benches with their tables, and some flower-giving bushes and a big apple tree beside the pond that had invaded it a little, but gifting it with an organic look that made it more beautiful.

As they moved around the corridor the man explained to her "This home has a couple set of rules. You can have pets if you and your partner both confirm to me it's OK, but you have to take responsability if it comes back ill, wounded, pregnant or if breaks or dirties anything, and it cannot be bigger than a medium sized dog, and even those need to be trained.
All common areas are open until 11pm, but if you end up doing things later, like starting to cook at 10pm, just don't make any noise or i'll go take you back to your room. Anyone can have visitors but until 7PM and that's a haaard limit, except for the big hall on saturdays. TO use any place like that, just book it in the calendar beside the door for everyone to see. There's a gamin club there on Sundays, but they usually use up just a half, since it's pretty big.
Garbage is tossed once every two days and laundry has one day per room, so don't forget. Yours is Friday. Aand, i belive this is it.
My name is Adam and ANYTHING you need, you talk to me, i live just behind the counter so i'm almost always here."

When entering, the counter was in the main hallway and gave a way to a door behind it, so she supposed his house was right back there. Not in there, but near, wich made her less anxious because there would always be a person she could call upon. From the Brochures, Helen knew there was a resting room for everyone to use, laundry, living room, kitchen and the big hall, some kind of multi purpose room for anyone to use, with many tables and chairs and anything you needed to study or any extracurricular activity. The place was oriented for students but there were some older folk just because it offered a lost of services for a modicum price. It was heaven to her afflicted finances.

"Ok, here we are. Sadly, the overlap in the files made us put you to share with a boy. I belive he's almost never home, and if you don't want to share with him, we could talk it out but i belive you might want to share a little with him before deciding." As he remarked that, she felt inminent danger and dread. What would he be thinking? a girl sharing the room with a boy? She started shaking, unable to say anything else as Adam knocked on her new rommate's door.
 
Reginald was finishing tidying up his room. He had heard he'd be getting a roommate which didn't bother him much. He figured he could use a wingman or even be someone else wingman. After all women practically fell into his arms. It didn't take him long to finish it all up. He settled into a chair and started to read. He was already well settled in and had gotten to the school early. His parents hadn't exactly wanted him to 'waste his time' which was their way of saying 'get the hell out'. His parents didn't like that he'd spent the whole summer charming women for fun. Which meant he brought plenty of women home much to his mother's dismay.

He knew the rules though when it came to laundry, he preferred going to a dry cleaner for most of it. He wore expensive suits and didn't want anyone to ruin them somehow by getting their clothes mixed in with his. He gave a bored yawn before hearing a knock on the door. Must be my new roommate. He thought to himself. He closed his book, a random trashy romance novel he was reading to see what women thought was romantic or sexy. He stood up, straightening out his suit, and went to the door, opening it.

"Adam, good to see you." He looked at Helen and smirked, "Sir I don't need any help with the ladies. I thought you were bringing my roommate by today." He ruffled his own hair to "fix" it. He was a very handsome young man and he couldn't help but smile at her. "And what is your name my dear sweet lady?" He asked taking her hand.
 
All the situation had her on edge, and just hearing the guy going a little over the courtly and getting into the flirtatuous was enough to set her alarms and make her hairs stand on point. The implying of Adam being a pimp and bringing a girl for him to depredate made her feel no better. That meant Shadow, Pepper, Coal, Ash, Ebony and OM (short for Obsidian Mamma) rose up and hissed at him. Her panic launched in her mind a primal instinct to freeze, but not herself, but the threat, and only by a supreme exercise of her force of will she refrained of turning the man into stone, along with anyone watching her cobra's eyes.

As a gorgon, Helen's head was covered in snakes. She learned a simple glamour that made her snakes look like hair if they standed perfectly still, so she wove the snakes into a braid most of the time. Her snakes were all black King Cobras, an unatural color for the actual animal, and with their caracteristic round copper eyes, in this case more human like and expresive, and bigger too. She had tested in the lab how strong the venom was, since it was related to their health, and it was almost like acid for the tissues, so it was a necrotic kind, invasive and worst, abrasive, but it supposedly retained it's neurotoxic faculties. This helped her to fund some of her treatment selling it to various witches and alchemists, but in fear of the users abusing of it, she refrained from doing so until it was a last resort.

As the girls raised, they used their tongues to smell the man, who smelt of sulfur and cologne. Curious, but she supposed that many of the inhabitants could be students of her same academy. Suddenly that made her feel even more anxious. Was she going to find him at her classes? Fuck no, please. Her tongue was dry and she was unable to say anything for a moment before Adam took the reigns of the whole thing, something she was thankful for. I don't doubt that, kiddo. This is Helen. We mismatched her papers, and she was placed with you. For the semester there is no other room for her to stay, so i wanted you both to meet and decide if she could share a room with you. I hope that you'd make her feel confortable and welcomed. The landlord said, taking a step away from the snakes although not disturbed. Would it be okay if i left you too at it, door opened, to chat as i go about my chores? I'll be just over there, so you'll be able to chat about the room situation and come to an agreement. Adam asked.
 
Reginald noticed Helen's hair changing into snakes and sighed. He could tell she was the overly sensitive sort. "Now now now, there's no need for that," He said with an annoyed sigh before looking at Adam, "I was just trying to. But certainly. I can leave the door open and chat with her." He seemed more annoyed than anything and that was because he had been quite nice, overly nice and suddenly it was clear that his advances were completely unwelcome. He had a sense for these things and when a girl wasn't interested in him, and she definitely wasn't.

He sighed yet again and stepped aside, "Well? Are you going to come in to chat?" He asked as he walked in and pulled out the chair of the empty desk for her and sat down on his own at his desk. "Miss Helen you've nothing to fear from me. I am a young man true but I know how to keep my hands to myself. Please, sit and we can speak on this." He was trying to be nice and hoped she wouldn't be even angrier.
 
More than angry, she looked scared shitless, but not being hit by an stranger dandy reduced her stress. She was quite the jumpy kind, but even this was rude of her. She tried to call down and her snakes braided stiffly down her neck, returning to the appearance of simple long black hair.
I... Yes, I'm sorry. Helen Rynyr. N-nice to meet you... She greeted him formally and made herself as little as she could. Helen didn't want to bother her host, but it looked like that was the only thing she had managed since she arrived and she hated it, so she got in and smiled faintly to Adam We'll be alright... Thanks. She said drawing confidence from her words.

His gesture felt gentlemanly and she felt that was more apropiate, something she knew how to correspond, even though all his other demeanor was not. She understood his frustration since she was rude, but feeling guilty would not do her any more good, so she took a deep breath and tried to relax I was... caught off guard by all of this, i didn't mean to be unpolite She began clumsily but steady. I'd love to stay here, even if it's not what i first expected... i'm a little taken aback though. This... shyness is something i'm trying to change, but it's no use She felt she owed him at least a little explanation.
 
"As was I but we need to get along. I can help with that shyness Miss Helen, after all that is my specialty. I am what you would call a social butterfly." He said as he watched her continue to stand at the door. He started to think and the wheels in his head started to turn. He looked her up and down for a moment. "You're a good candidate for my help. Pretty enough, just a bit shy." He said with a nod.

He thought she could be a very happy and cute girl with a little help. He knew that the biggest challenge would be her personality and attitude. She was far too shy and quick to react with what looks like anger. He leaned back in his chair and sighed a bit. It was more difficult but she could be helped. He racked his brain for what all he'd need to help her. A few books came to mind as he shut his eyes in thought.

"So. What are you planning to study hmmm? I haven't fully chosen myself yet but maybe something will come up."
 
The compliment flew at her as a punch to the jaw, leaving her completelly out of words. Was he serious? maybe it had been all a prank, now it ocurred to her, but it was too real and Adam wouldn't have done something like that, at least she spected. You'd be... some kind of... She started off as she got inside the room and sit as she had been invited. It felt like another world she didn't belong to, but also it liked her. For a single boy, his room was actually pretty decent. A psicologist or, maybe, a therapist? Or want to be? She asked, surprising herself as she stared around.

I want to be a first responder. Nurse, firewoman, something like that. I want to be able to help others. She told him confidently, like she had always known what to do. I'm heading towards medicine, and i'll go as much into it as possible. If i get to be a paramedic that'd be awesome, but even if not, i'll make it to my dream. Helen said, beaming at the thought of paramedicine. But, yeah, one step at a time. You... where do you study?
 
He chuckled at her taking a stab at what he should be. "I've no interest in poking around in peoples minds professionally. Though my natural talents lean towards that I've no interest in it." He said quite happily as he watched her. When she mentioned what she wanted to do he shrugged. "Not terrible choices. Though you'll work long hours, and some of it will be quite thankless. But you look like the type that would do well in it. I study at the university of course. I'm taking mostly general education courses though math has been quite a challenge. "

He shrugged a bit as he sat there. It seemed pretty clear that he had no real ideas. He was considering a few things including going into some kind of design work. But he was a lousy artist. He was great at choosing colors but drawing? sketching? That was all out of his ability. He also thought of being a musician since he was already proficient.
 
Well, they say that if you're good at something, you should not do it for free She almost joked with a shy half smile, but now with enough confidence as to chat normally. I know it's hard. But life's never easy, and you don't do this kind of job for thanks, you do it to have control over life and death and when you're sure you have chosen life. She explained amused by the chat.

I want to live here. I'd be more confortable with another girl, but... i'll take the place, if you would have me. She said arming herself with courage. It was the best place, and she would have her space if she could place an asian screen between both sides of the room. She was not sure, but there were too many troubles with rejecting the place, and also it was just for a time, right? I'll try to make myself useful!
 
He chuckled a bit. "I like your thinking. Still not really my thing. Helping people with their problems and all. I don't mind sharing a room with you. We'll have to make sure we get the whole routine thing down. And I suppose I can stop being lazy on the weekends." He stretched a bit and shrugged. After a second he stood up.

"All right I suppose from here on out we're roommates. As such you should understand that I have standards. Keep things clean, dress nice and we'll be fine. If you need help with clothes I can certainly manage that. I won't have you looking like a fashion disaster if you're going to associate with me."
He smiled gently, "after all everyone should get a chance to look good. Having said that.....I need to get a look at your wardrobe. Not the under bits. I'm not that perverted. Just things like pants and blouses, things like that." He stretched a bit more. Now that she had a chance to look around a bit she could see he had pictures of what seemed to be himself in various suits and outfits. About half of them he'd dropped his own head from. And among his books were the occasional fashion magazine.
 
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Even if helping is not your cup of tea, you can do research, profiling, police orientation... it's actually a cool field of study! helen commented with enthusiasm Well, i don't have mine yet until the classes start next week, but as long as the room is clean you can lazy out on your free time... i'm not going to tell you how to spend your time. She commented half way into a frown.
His terms made Helen Squint Are you calling me a fashion disaster? Her mouth gaped at the percieved insult I dress nicely, mister! She said, flusttered and out of balance. What are you, some kind of amateur fashion designer? I am not your model, but your roomate! You have not even introduced yourself, so you have no right to tell me what to do or wear! Now she looked frustrated and shocked, but more than anything indignant or outraged.
 
Reginald started to laugh. "Well you aren't one at the moment but it's your first day here. Of course you'd dress nicely," he said with an amused grin. He stood up and bowed for her. "I am Reginald Von Karma. And yes, I do see myself as an amateur fashion designer. I'm not asking you to model, I'm asking you to look nice. You won't see me wandering around in sweatpants and an ugly old hoodie and if you want to hang with me then I expect the same of you. As I said I'm happy to help in the fashion department but I need an idea of your style, of what you think looks good and to get an idea on if you actually know what looks good on a young lady like yourself. And no, I have to stop being lazy and actually wear pajamas to bed. You wouldn't want me parading around our shared room in my boxers now would you? If I'm going to make you fall for me I'd much rather it be for my charm first. Not my body." He smiled warmly to her and winked. "Besides, it'll save you and your lovely snakes from having a heart attack first thing in the morning."
 
She was about to reply but the monologue was so enthusiastic and enthralling she could not bring herself to answer. He was overstepping all boundries but she felt kind of... relieved at this boundless exchange. The image of his body just in boxers made her body tingle in the most akward of ways, and she turned tomato-red. She could only lower her gaze as a reprimanded puppy and mutter a pathetic O-okay, yes. Whatever. that could only barely hide her excitement.
B-but then you... would have to be around me too! she forced herself to say I need... i want a friend here and in class... i want to sit in your table at lunch! SHe suddenly realized, as she ended those words, how childish and stupid she sounded. What a stupid bitch! IT was time to shed old traumas, not to fight to turn a table that was now meaningless! No, i... sorry.
 
Reginald smiled and chuckled when she made her demand. He walked up to her and gently tipped up her face to look at him with his hand gently on her chin. "Of course my lady. We're roommates, of course we would eat together. If we have classes together you are of course encouraged to sit beside me," He said gently, "Roommates are always the first friend you make as you get to know them the best." He let go of her chin and moved back to his chair to sit down. "You are adorable Miss Helen. I do hope we can actually become friends." He smiled warmly as they sat there. He found her to be very sweet and he knew giving her some fashion advice would do wonders for her confidence.
 
Ah, yeah... Thanks... She muttered with a slight smile. About the style... i don't have anything defined. I like dresses, and military clothes... well any kind of armour or uniform. She looked tense at his touch but also started to understand his was always a overflirteous manner. Maybe she should see him with other girls to be sure, but as he was not serious, Helen just tried to swallow her fear.
She was terrified he's laugh at her, but she was even, supportive of her and really kind in his words. Could it be good? Are you like this with any female you cross paths with?
 
"hmmmm well that can be quite fashionable." He nodded, "After all it was very traditional once upon a time for armies to look fairly fashionable. I think I can work with that," He smiled and made himself comfortable, "Like what? A nice person? Most of the time." He chuckled a bit, "But I have to be extra nice to you, we live together. We need to make sure we both get along." He smiled a bit more as he seemed to think. "Hmmmm what colors do you like Miss Helen?" He asked, "Do you know what colors look good on you? I think wintery cool colors would work well for you. Pale skin, remarkably dark hair, imagine pale blues.....cool colors." He nodded a bit as he tried to picture some things for her.
 
That's a relief, i suppose... She was not so sure she could look like she was inside a boot camp all day, and her budget was not that big to buy clothes. She chuckled at his selfperceptions A player and fashion consultant SHe corrected with a big smile and got up to look around the room Wouldn't you think this situation is weird? She asked not specting anything.
Her curiosity was on the whole room, and she started to think where would she put her stuff. It was not particularly big but she didn't have much to start with. I like blue, black and dark grey. They look good to me. Do you sew too?
 
"A player? well that's fair. I mean I am a demon. And yes, this situation is a bit weird but at this point all we can do is accept it you know? After all you don't want to be without a place to stay right?" He chuckled a bit as he stretched. When she asked him if he sewed he couldn't help but burst into a fit of laughter. "Oh hell no. I'd end up taking someone's eye out due to my impatience dear. Oh, the wardrobe over there is yours. So feel free to use it. I won't poke through your clothes unless you ask me to for whatever reason." He said as he gestured to one of the wardrobes. He then turned to a bookshelf by his desk and seemed to be looking at the various magazines. He pulled out a fairly recent women's fashion magazine and began to flip through it. "hmmmm gray is in season... but people are looking at the lighter colors.....blue is always an easy color to find...." He started to mutter to himself as he thought about what could help her.
 
No, certainly, but well, not everyone would have accepted the arrangement so calmly. I have to thank you for that. She commented with a weak smile, starting to act as dignified as she could after her shameful begining. Maybe i can teach you to. It's actually fun, and learning doesn't take up space, right? She offered. Until mid day when her things would come, she would have nothing to put there, but she went to look at the wardrove to take a look. It was nice enought to have something like this waiting for her, in any case.
Um.. why don't you show me around the neighborhood. For now i don't have my clothes here, and i suppose we won't go sopping right away, right?
 
His attention returned to her as she spoke again and smiled at her. "I'm not sure you want to try and teach me. I wasn't lying when I said I was fairly impatient. And you never want to see an angry demon," He chuckled, "But I suppose I could learn in exchange for helping you with style. I can show you around sure. I'd assume you'd want to settle in before I work on buying you clothing. Besides, then I don't need measurements, I could just look at the sizes of your clothes." He put the magazine on his desk and stood up. "Well Miss Helen, shall I take you on a walk about the area?" he offered his arm to her. He had a rather charming smile and was more than happy to help her out now.